Drop door for railway cars



G. G. GxLPlN 1,870,905

2 SheetS-Sheet 1 DROP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Original Filed April 26, 1929 Aug, 9, 1932.

Aug 9, 1932- G. G. GlLPlN 1,870,905

DROP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Original Filed April 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III:

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES GARTH G. GILPIN, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE DROP DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS l Original application tiled April 26, 1929, Serial No. 358,305. Patent No. 1,813,536, dated July 7, 1931.

Divided and this application filed January 19, 1931. Seral No. 509,711.

My invention relates to the construction o-f railway cars of the dumping or drop bottom type such as hopper cars, hopper gondola cars, drop bottom or general service gondola cars or the like, having a door forming a part of the car for retaining the load therein, which door is provided with hinges ad] acent one of its edges and is capablel of being dropped or swung open to discharge the load. Any means of raising the door to the closed position and any means for locking and releasing the door may be employed with my device. Such a door is commonly called a hopper door. My doors may also be used as drop end gates or doors fo-r mill type gondola cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a door for a railway car with a substantially circular rib or reinforcement forming a drum head whereby a load upon the door normal to its load sustaining surface draws the metal toward the center of the circular rib which is resisted by the arcuate construction of the rib. A further object is to dispose the circular rib obliquely to the body of the door and a still further object is to provide preferably radial brackets to further brace the circular rib which extends inwardly and/or outwardly from the rib.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive show a typical door incorporating my improvements.

Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive show various modified forms of my improvement.

My improved door comprises a body portion provided with a circular or substantially circular rib 21 forming a drum head wherein any vertical load imposed upon the door within the circular rib tends to draw the rib inwardly; or in other words, to -iiatten the circle, which tendency is resisted by the arcuate construction of the ribs, as the force is resisted by a part of the circular rib which could be described as an arch. The circular rib, therefore, forms a very strong construction to resist vertical loads imposed upon the ca I preferably provide radial ribs or brackets springing from the circular rib and mergextend toward the hinge element 24 and supl port elements 25, respectively, so that the brackets in combination with'a part o f the circular rib constitute a beam between the hingeelement andthe support element.

By the term fcirfcular I means anything substantially so; for instance,the hexagonal construction shown in Figs. 9land 10 or any construction similar thereto which would provide the desired drum head effect.

I have shown and described the-circular rib and several means of reinforcing the circular rib to better enable it to perform its function. However, any one or all of the several means may be used and lstill come within the scope of the invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that .i

various modifications thereof, within the .scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 358,305,1iled April 26, 1929,

which matured into Patent No. 1,813,536 on July 7 1931. p

I claim:

1.. A hinged door for a railway car'comprising a substantially rectangular body, a

substantially circular rib, said body extendg ing beyond said rib on all sides thereof, and brackets springing from the rib and merging into the body within the circular rib.

2. A hinged door for a railway car cominto the body within the circular rib, and other brackets springing from the rib and l merging into the body portion outside of the circular rib.

3. A hinged door for a railway car comprising a body portion, a substantially cir- 5 cular rib, brackets springing from said rib and merging into the body within the circular rib, and other brackets springing from the rib and merging into the body portion outside of the circular rib. j i 4f. A. hinged door for al railway car coinprising a body portion, avcontinuousflange adjacent the perimeter of said body portion, a substantially circular rib,-and brackets springing from the ribv and merging into the` body portion adjacent said lange. 5. A hinged door fora railway car comprising ya body portion, a continuous flange adjacent the perimeterof said body portion, a substantially y circular rib, and brackets springing from the rib and merging vinto the body portion adjacent said flange at the respective corners of the door.V j

6. A hinged door for' a railway car comprising a body portion, a continuous flange. adjacentrthe perimeter of said body portion,

a substantially circular. rib, brackets springing from said rib and merging into the body within the circular,rib,.and other brackets springin'gfromy the rib and merging into the i body portion adjacent said Hange at the re-V Vspective corners ofthe door.y Y

7. A hinged door for arailway car comprising a substantially rectangular body, a

circular" rib', and means tol reinforcetheportion ofthe body within the circular rib.Y

" i GrARTI-I Gr; GILPIN.

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